I  House  of  Representatives.] 

HOUSE  OF  REPRE-^ENTATIVES,  December  16,1861— Order- 
ed to  be  primed. 

[By  Mr-  McMuLLiN.] 

A    HESOLUTTON 

Upon  the  subject  of  peace. 

1  Whereas,  According  to  the  Declaration  of  IiiJepeudence  of 

2  the  United  States  and  tlie   Constitution  of  the   Confederate 

3  States,  the  peojile  of  each  of  said  states,  in  their  higliestsover- 

4  eign  capacity,  have  a  right  to  alter,  amend  or  abolish  the  gov- 

5  crumcnt  under  which  tMr-y  jivr.   ^ml  oc(f,liluii  ^nr'i  otlier  a^they 

6  may  deem  most  expedient;  a}id,  whereas,  the  jjeople  of  the  sev- 

7  eral  Confederate  States  have  thought  proper  to  sever  their  po 

8  litical  connection  with  the  people  and  government  of  the  Unit- 

9  ed  States,  for  reasons  which  it  is  not  needfal  here  to  state  ;  a7id, 

10  whereas,  the  people  of  the  Confederate  States  have  organized 

11  and  established    a   distinct   government  fo-r  themselves;  and, 

12  ivherens,  because  the  people  of  the  Confederate  States  have 

13  thus  exercised  theii  undoubted  right  in  this  re?i>ect,  the  people 

14  aid  government  of  the  United  States  have  tlioosrh*  proper  to 

15  lyaka  wai-  njKjn  tliem ;  and,  whereas,  there  seems  to  be  a  differ- 

16  ciice  of  opinion  on  the  part  of  the  rcsj>ective  governments  and 

17  pef'plc  as  to  which  of  the  contending  parties  is  respontiblo  for 

18  the  (ommencement  of  the  present  war.     Therefore, 


2 

1  Resolved,  Thaf,  whilst  it  is  not  expedient,  and  would   be  in- 

2  compatillc  ^Mh.  the  dignity  of  the  Confederate  States,  to  send 

3  commissioners  to  Washington  city,  for  the  purpose  of  securing 

4  a  cessation  of  hostilities,  yet  it  would  be,  in  the  judgment  of  this 

5  body,  eminently  proper  that  Ihe  House  of  Representatives  of 

6  the  Confederate  States  should  despatch  without  delay,  to  some 

7  convenient  i)oint,  a  body  of  commissioners,  thirteen  in  number, 

8  composed   of  one   representative  from  each  of  said   states,  to 

9  meet  and   confer  with  such  individuals  as  may  be  appointed  by 

10  the  Government  of  the  United  States,  in  regard  tOvall  the  out- 

11  standing  questions  of  difference  between  the  two  governments, 

12  and  to  agree,  if  possible,  upon  the  terlns  of  a  lasting  and  hon- 
lo  orable  peace,  subject  to  the  ratification  of  the  respective  govern- 

14  ments    and    of  the    sovereign   states  respectively    represented 

15  therein. 


rd, 


